Solid-State Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells: The Push Towards Automating Fabrication Techniques
Amy Neild a, Susanna Stephens a, Pablo Docampo b, Elizabeth Gibson a
a Energy Materials Laboratory, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, England
b School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, University Pl, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK
International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics
Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV22)
València, Spain, 2022 May 19th - 25th
Organizers: Pablo Docampo, Eva Unger and Elizabeth Gibson
Poster, Amy Neild, 274
Publication date: 20th April 2022

As the demand for renewable energy rises, coupled with the depletion of non-renewable energy resources, solid-state dye-sensitised solar cells (ss-DSCs) are becoming an increasingly important third-generation photovoltaic technology. They offer a more stable alternative to dye-sensitised solar cells containing a liquid electrolyte, but further research and optimisation is required for them to be a viable alternative with a competitive efficiency.

Increasing the efficiency of the devices requires optimisation of each layer, that when done manually can be time-consuming, often result in variation between solar cells, and even lead to non-uniformity of a specific layer within the solar cell. We have shown that fabrication processes involved in constructing the device that have previously been done manually, such as creating the electrode pattern, depositing the blocking layer, synthesising metal oxides at specific stoichiometries and depositing the mesoporous metal oxide layer can all be automated. With this system, a wider variety of etching designs can be achieved and key parameters such as material thickness can be manipulated easily and precisely from a computer. This reduces hands-on time for the researcher, improves productivity, and increases the reproducibility and uniformity of each layer of the solar cell, which is vital for the upscale of device fabrication.

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